Indian PM Narendra Modi still got more votes than any democratically elected leader in history (winning an election in a billion-strong country will do that). But his Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a humbling setback, losing nearly 60 seats and failing to secure an outright majority for the first time since coming to power in 2014. At last count, the Party of Modi had 240 seats out of 543.
Why did support slip for a popular leader credited with making India the world’s fastest-growing major economy and a leading voice of the Global South? Perhaps, after a decade in power, there was Modi fatigue. Maybe Modi’s polarizing Hindu-nationalist rhetoric didn’t play as well as he’d hoped. And give credit to the opposition alliance – led by the long-struggling Indian National Congress – which exceeded expectations (and polls) by capitalizing on widespread frustrations about inflation and unemployment.
What next? The BJP is still the legislature’s largest party, but it will need smaller and regional parties to form a government. That may mean slower progress on key but difficult reforms – to land ownership, labor laws, and tariffs – that are part of Modi’s dream of making India a global manufacturing powerhouse.
The biggest questions: Can Modi, a strongman-curious leader used to having his way, learn to be a team player? Can a once-powerful Congress party, which has been in the wilderness for a decade, turn this moment into a new lease on life?At the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Tony Maciulis speaks with Tonee Ndungu, a Kenyan entrepreneur who helped launch one of the tech hubs that became a baseline for what is now known as Silicon Savannah. Ndungu explains how growing up with dyslexia and ADHD shaped his focus on inclusion, and why he sees technology as a bridge that can help people move beyond the limits they have been told about themselves.
Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, but only if people can actually access it.
Speaking at the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock argues that AI should not be viewed as a cure-all for global development. Without reliable internet, telecommunications infrastructure, and access to basic technology, even the most advanced AI tools cannot reach the communities that need them most.
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for disaster preparedness and emergency response.
Speaking at the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith explains how AI combines predictive modeling, satellite imagery, and public data to help governments identify vulnerable communities before disasters strike and respond more quickly when they do.
Graham Platner is out of Maine's Senate race. That may improve Democrats' chance of defeating Republican Susan Collins—but it doesn't guarantee it. In the latest episode of the GZERO Debrief, Eurasia Group US Practice Head Clayton Allen says Democrats may be better off than they were a week ago, but Republicans remain the favorites to hold the Senate seat.